Category: Junior Literary

So, I’ve decided to make a playlist based on my MSA Experience thus far. And I’m not gonna lie, the songs on it are bops. So I decided to share them with you so that you can get a chance to love MSA from a different view: a lyrical view. So, without further adieu, my playlist for Mississippi School of the Arts. 🙂

i’ve been getting my nails done since November 2017. it has grown into a preference to have my nails done. i’ve stopped getting them done since being at MSA because it is SO hard to type with long nails. and typing is literally my entire life now. but i’m going through withdrawals and i wanna show you guys all the nails that i’ve had. (SEVERAL were not pictured so this is not anywhere near all of them, but you get the gist.) a lot of these are really weird and crazy. i didn’t really like a few of them, but i loved most of them.

Acrylic nails have been apart of my life for over 2 years now because after my first set, I was full- on addicted. I don’t get them nearly as long anymore because it is SO hard to type on a keyboard when your nails are super long. I just love everything about having my nails done. I love washing my hair and scratching my scalp, I love massaging other people’s scalps or backs, I love the clicking noise they make when I type on my phone, I love just everything! If I had to pick a favorite, I’d probably choose the yellow ones with little sunflowers on my index finger. My nail tech did SO good and they were just so cute!

Okay, I’m gonna stop rambling about my nails now.

Peace out, girl scout 🙂

If you haven’t noticed, Mississippi is much colder than usual. Just today it started raining randomly. I had to go get my umbrella. To go along with that, the wind was blowing fiercely. Typically my cardigan would warm me up, but goosebumps littered my skin. On my trek to class I saw that the leaves were barely on the trees, and it kind of saddened me. I personally love autumn, it’s not too cold or warm either- it’s perfect. With that being said, I’m not opposed to winter. We have a love/ hate relationship. So I think the best thing to do during this hard month is to reflect on the good things that have come out of it in the past. I would encourage you to also find the little pieces of joy in December. While the weather is gloomy, there is still ups to December.

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1. The beautiful lights: My dorm is filled with string lights and a salt lamp that gives a calming mood to my room. Seeing Christmas lights throughout Brookhaven reminds me of the comfort of my room. Plus, it reminds me of when I would run around in my yard being a fool during December. It was the first year Mom put up Christmas lights on the outside of our house. It was so lovely.

2. Warm soup: I have to say, I’ve only tried tomato soup since I became a vegan. Then when I got to MSA they started making this delicious mildly spicy soup around the colder months. It really makes me feel nice and warm inside.

3. Sweaters/Cardigans: Okay, during winter I get to wear my favorite items such as cardigans. I have a coffee colored one that is long and makes me feel comfortable. It’s  nice to feel all warm and cozy during a hard time. 

4. Good friends: There is nothing quite like laughing with friends to cheer someone up. I can be in a bad mood, but a joke or two can make me feel a bit better. It is good to surround yourself with a community that is here to support and love you.

With the sun going away, and past experiences of things that have happened during Christmas time it always tends to bring me down a bit. Although, this reflection has made me appreciate the little things that brighten my soul during this time. I hope that you too, will make a list of things that make you light up inside if winter tends to affect you too. You could even comment something that makes you happy during this time. 

 

 

Well, I’m back from Thanksgiving! I am pretty excited for Christmas break to roll around next. I’ll be 17 when I come back in January. With that being said, over Thanksgiving break I got a couple things for my room. It had me thinking about my dorm in general. When I first came to MSA I knew I wanted to make a calming space throughout my room. Which I did manage to do. Although, I was also unsure of what fun stuff/essential stuff I wanted to bring. All that to say, I would love to share some items below, and an essential list on what to add to your room/dorm. So here we go:

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Essentials First(for moving in a dorm)

1. Bathroom Supplies: Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Hair Products, Straightener, Curler, Brushes, Shampoo+Conditioner+Body wash, Rags+Towels+Hand Towels, Toothbrush Holder, Soap Dispenser+Soap, Shower Caddy(you may not need one), Shower Shoes, Shower Curtain, Bath Mat, Mini Garbage Can (for bathroom), Toilet Paper.

2. Cleaning Supplies(along with laundry): Windex, Clorox Wipes, Shout, Paper Towels, Broom+Dust Pan, Automatic Shut Off Iron, Steamer, Mini Vacuum(you may not need this with broom), Laundry Bag, Laundry Detergent(Tide Pods), Quarters(for washer/dryer). 

3. Clothes: Socks, Undergarments, Tennis Shoes, Dress Shoes, Dress Clothes, Jeans, Shorts, T-Shirts, Belts, Jackets, (perhaps) Jewelry (rings, necklaces, earrings,etc.), Also, makeup if applicable. 

4. Food: Mini Fridge(under 3.4 cubic inches here), Bin to put food/dishes in, Plates, Bowls, Forks, Spoons, Bag Clips, Ziploc Bags, Water(or Brita Filter), Chips, Ramen, Soda, Hummus(whatever fits in your mini fridge/ area).

5. Bedding/Room Essentials: Pillows, Sheets, Comforter, Blanket, Charger, Mattress-Pad(maybe?), Power-Surge Protector.

6: School Supplies: Backpack, Folders, Erasers, Pencils, Pens, Paper, Stapler(maybe?), Printer(maybe?), Computer(maybe?), Pencil Pouch, Note cards, Scotch Tape, White-Out(maybe?), Scissors, Journal.

Extra Lovely Things

Essential Oil Diffuser: I personally love having this around. It calms me down. I like the one that has lights. Don’t forget essential oils(I like lavender, mint, and aqua/fresh smells).

String Lights(battery operated): String lights have a way of adding warmth to your room. I love mine, especially at night when they light up my room. It gives it a calming effect.

Salt Lamp: A salt lamp is also a calming item to add to your room. It works well with string lights too. It gives a pink tone to your room. 

Rug/Curtains: A curtains add an elegant touch to a room. Don’t forget the bar to hold up the curtains as well. A rug makes the room cozier, also it’s nice to put your feet on after you get out of bed. 

Tapestry/ Wall Decor: A tapestry adds personality to your room, while also filling up space. The same goes for pictures, drawings, etc. Don’t forget command hooks!

Makeup Mirror/ Stand up Mirror: These two are handy for doing makeup, or when checking out your outfit for the day. 

Books/Plants/Other: These are nice to fill extra shelf space/ desk space in a room. I have other things like a mini rock garden, fake flowers in vases, etc.

Ottoman/Bean-Bag/Fuzzy Chair: Although I do not have these, it’s nice to have extra comfy seating for you or your friends. It fills up space, while also being useful. 

Decorative pillows/ Plushies: This is a fun thing, of course, but it adds a little something to your bed/ chairs. So add a few of these things if you like.

Alright, I hope I inspired you to change up your room a bit, or get stuff for your room. If you are thinking about going to a boarding school, college, MSA, etc. I feel like this would be beneficial to you. If anyone else has ideas for a room, please feel free to comment down below. 

 

 

 

Wow, only one month remains until the long-awaited year of 2020. This semester has passed by so fast, and I find that ridiculous. Anyway…

Well, before I picked through ambiguous journal entries, I was convinced that this month had ended before it had begun. Wrong. I had almost no recollection of anything I read. But I shall present you the basic outline of November that I pieced together.

I had a “blah” beginning, so to say, but November is kind of a “blah” month. I am fond of fall, but the season unravels far too quickly, giving to the fringes of winter (which I hate). Being honest, though, who likes leafless trees and conflicted temperatures? I kind of dislike winter, but at least it leads to the hope of snow. November only seeks to drive one mad. Okay, I am being a little dramatic. I would rather this than summer. But, yes, the beginning felt kind of like the weather. A little bit changed, especially the time (the time changed was very significant). And, most importantly, being here at MSA did not feel as surreal as it once did. I have sunken into some kind of comfortable routine, which I like. And I feared that I would resort to a disheveled disaster, but I am more organized than ever. I fear the organization; I have arranged some salt packets into rows.

Although the beginning did not prove itself to be spectacular, I liked November. The uncertainties that clung to me during October flaked off, kind of like the dead and dying leaves, I guess  😕 . I hate feeling trapped in a relentless storm of confusion.

I read a good book that restored my opinion of Michael Crichton.

I could not go outside as much because of sad weather.

I developed an addiction to tea. I guess it curbs my coffee addiction somewhat.

And I have begun to listen to way too much music.

But, all of this aside, I liked November’s philosophies. One in particular stood out to me, and I only recently found a name for it due to a positive psychology article. Recently, I have realized just how crucial a role gratitude plays. I have been a lot happier this year, and part of that is because of gratitude. For quite some time, I lived with potent pessimism, letting each day roll over me like an intolerable steamroller of cycling routine-doom. I did, however, possess an appreciation for the “little moments” in life, which I called smiles and friendliness and the savory bits of existence (like tacos). But now, I have more gratitude toward what I have because, after all, I have so much. A few constants remain such as stress and nerves and negativity, but a nice environment and such help retain some balance. Now, I would rather spend my days in a coffee place with a corgi wearing a sombrero, surrounded by everything I love, but my environment is comfortable and without toxicity. To summarize this hefty paragraph, having more gratitude has helped me so much. I no longer wake up every morning to face the steamroller of routine, but I wake to see what the day presents. Although I am often tired and cynical, abiding by this mindset has changed my quality of living. That sounds so “whatever” (hah), but I love looking up into the sky and feeling full (this is a metaphorical statement).

I hope that you all find gratitude in your daily life. It is not easy and you can not simply “choose” happiness, but feelings of contentment lie in reach; I hope all of you can hold on to such feelings. Life can feel incredibly cruel and then mundane at times, but the color is there, I promise. Persevere so that you may someday persevere more easily, and never shred the good in you.

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Wednesday’s Fun Fact:

November is the official month-long holiday of the valiant sport known as leaf-crunching.

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving, and that they ate lots of food and got lots of rest! I sure did 😉 But now, it’s BLOGMAS!! I love Christmas so much. It’s just a happy season to celebrate the life of Christ, friends, and family. I can also be merry and full of joy, which I am every other time of year, but especially, during the holiday season.  Each blog this month will be themed around the holidays. But don’t worry, my fashion series will continue next year 😉 Let the fun begin!

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DIY Christmas Gifts

Christmas Care Package

 

This is a cute care package box for someone! You could take an empty box laying around your house, and take construction paper or wrapping paper to cover the insides. For the tree, you could paint over black construction paper, and use stickers for the ornaments. You could make it as fancy as you wanted, or not at all. In the left photo, the person used printed out photos of the Grinch, but if you don’t have a printer, you can just use stickers purchased at the Dollar Tree! You could get everything to fill up the box there, as well.

Here’s some ideas of what to put in the box(all can be found at your local Dollar Tree):

There you have it! A great Christmas gift for a friend for only $10.

Christmas {Tea} Tree

Have a friend who enjoys tea?? Find out their favorite kind, and make them this:

All you’ll need is a tea packets, foam cone, and an adhesive (I recommend tape and not hot glue because we want the tea to be used), and an empty paper towel or 2 toilet paper roll. If you can not find a foam cone, The Dollar Tree has rectangle foam blocks that you would simply need to shave into a cone-like shape.

First, you’ll take the cone, and glue or tap the tea packets overlapping row by row. Once you are done, cut your paper towel in half, unless you are using 2 toilet paper rolls. Take one roll, and cut it down the middle; cut off the excess side that fold in. You will then draw a star to go on top of your tea tree. Color the star yellow (if you want, you can take some Elmer’s glue and put gold glitter on it). Cut out the star you have just drawn, and glue it in place on the top. Then, take the roll, and cut it until it is about 2 inches tall; glue it to the bottom of your foam cone for your base. And you’re all done, your favorite tea drinking friend is about to get the best gift!

Want a simple gift that’s cheap, thoughtful, and requires minimal time or effort? I’ve got you! Here’s some gifts that follow all of those requirements:

Hope this helped you create the perfect gift without spending a ton of money! Read next week’s blog for the next Blogmas post. Happy Holla-days!

People think we’re so nice. That we couldn’t possibly be cold blooded. But don’t be fooled. Women can be just as crazy and dark as any normal serial killer. In this little essay, we talk about the 3 worst female serial killers in the world. 

First off, Joanna Dennehy. She was just 15 when she left home, which started her volatile relationship with John Treanor. That resulted in him taking their 2 children. She then moved to Peterborough and lived with Kevin Lee. In November of 2013, after being diagnosed with psychopathic antisocial personality disorder, Dennehy admitted to murdering and preventing to bury 3 men. Police believe she did it just for fun. 

Next we have the Australian Child Killer: Kathleen Folbigg. As a baby, she was sent to foster care because her father had killed her mother. As she became an adult, she married Craig Folbigg and had a son, Caleb. At 19 days old, he died of what they thought was Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). They had another son, named Patrick, and he died of due to asphyxia, a disease in which you suffocate yourself. Then they had Sarah, who died of SIDS. Then, 6 years later, they had another child. Laura died. After they separated, Craig went through some of her diaries and found some pretty sketchy stuff. After denying the murder of her children, in 2003, was convicted of murdering 3 of her kids and the manslaughter of one. 

Finally, we have Jane Toppan, or the Prolific Poisoner. Jane Toppan was a nurse, but while she walked the corridors of her ward at night, she began conducting experiments on patients. Using Morphine and other drugs to poison them. After moving to another hospital, she continued her experiments. She soon got laid off after too many patients died in her care. She also killed her sister and a few family friends. In 1902, she admitted to killing 21 people and over a dozen hospital patients, saying that it sexually aroused her watching her victims die. She was found not guilty by fault of insanity and was committed to an insane asylum. She died at age 84 in 1938. 

As you can see, women aren’t as sweet and naive as you think we are. We can be cruel and vicious just like any man. But, that doesn’t mean we’re all cold-blooded killers. We’re not all like Jane Toppan, Joanna Dennehy, or even Kathleen Folbigg. But we all are normal with sometimes psychotic, most times idiotic thoughts that could land us in jail.

 

I am very aware of all of the errors in this blog, but I like to see how far I’ve come as a writer. To my fellow literary juniors, I challenge you to post something from very long ago and recognize how far you’ve come in your writing journey. 

Sometimes other people can create a whole different identity about you, broadcast it to the world, and before you know it people have this perception of you that you never knew existed. Some may say this might be a good thing if it’s a positive perception. However, I say that this could never be a good thing because this false perception is not you… it is just an illusion. This false perception could also be dangerous because, of course, negative perceptions. I know that this is no shocker and, sometimes, it may slip our minds; but people will flat-and straight-up lie on your name. I have seen it happen plenty of times, but you know what the real shocker is that 80 percent of the time it’s your own friends. 

(someone play “What about your friends” by TLC)

“Friends” …let’s talk about that word and what it means to me. Now, you know I have to pull up the receipts: According to the Cambridge dictionary, the noun means.

1. A person you know well and like a lot, but who is usually not a member of your family.

2. Someone who is not an enemy and who you can trust.

Now, personally, what a friend means to me is someone I can confide in and trust that they will not tell anyone about my business. Also, a friend is someone I can count on to be there for me when I need them to be. I don’t know about y’all, but I have always had trouble in the friend category– particular in the best friend department. I guess you could blame it on how I was raised. My mamma always told me to be mindful of my surroundings and the people I surround myself with. So I am always skeptical about people by the energy they give off, what they say or do and especially the little things. So when I get the sense that someone I hang around is sketchy and/or coming off fake.

I automatically start separating myself from them, because the last thing I need is negative people and their toxic energy infecting in my life when I’m trying to thrive to become the best person I can be! (I recently dedicated a blog post to cutting off toxic people so check it out, if you haven’t already.)

All in all, what I’m trying to say is… be mindful and observant about the people you call your friends. You never know the person you call your best friend might just be your best enemy.

I’m pretty sure that everyone had a go to childhood game that they would play significantly more than others (If you don’t, I’m so sorry). Well for me, that was Mario kart. It was like my best friend and my mom’s worst enemy because what better way to procrastinate your responsibilities than play Mario kart? Exactly. there is no better way. Anyways, my mom got really tired of telling me to “stop playing stupid video games and do my chores/ homework”. It was kind of rude, but I didn’t take it personally because I know she was just upset– and people don’t think very logically when they’re upset, so I would pretend not to hear her and continue playing. she began to hate the game very quickly for that reason though:(

REASON #1: Mario Kart teaches how to be a cautious and skilled driver.

Before driving on real roads, I drove on the professional roads of the game that only the best of the best can survive on. You learn to avoid shells, banana peels, and other characters that don’t know how to drive (you have to avoid those people on the roads in real life too).  There are a lot of obstacles that you have to overcome in the game, and while you most likely won’t be driving on a rainbow road in space, It really prepares you for the hard driving every driver is going to have to face at some point or another.

REASON #2: Mario Kart enforces patience.

Incase you don’t know, this game can be very stressful. You can go from 1st to last place all due to the unlikeliness of falling off the edge of the road and dying. And then right when you’re set back on the track, you get hit with like 4 shells, shrunken, run over, and fall off again. Due to these very unfortunate circumstances, many people lose their tempers with the game and may possibly break their controller and/or tv over it. That’s a bit extreme, but it can, and does happen. (not that I would know…) And that’s where my theory comes in to play: Mario Kart teaches patience, a virtue everyone needs to learn one way or another. Me personally- I think this game is truly the best way to learn it. You have to learn not to get overly mad when a slight inconvenience in the game takes place so you don’t break your controllers. It took me years to master, but I can now stay perfectly calm when someone runs me off the road (in the game of course), or does any other manner of harassment to where I am no longer in 1st place.  Also, I’m just a patient person for the most part, and I really think Mario Kart has contributed to that.

REASON #3: Mario Kart bonds you closer with people.

I understand that this is a blog post that appeals to factual ideations and not emotion; however, this is a very important and positive side effect of playing this game. You can be playing Mario Kart with someone you don’t even know and all of a sudden, you both die together. (Once again- in the game of course.) It’s such a heartbreaking occurrence to fall in the water of that one place, or the dark abyss of another, which can automatically give you something to understand together. One minuet, you didn’t even know the person, the next, you’re crying with each other out of frustration. One of the quickest way to make friends and find empathy for each other.

I would like to thank my 2 main inspirations for this post: Leah (my sister), and Lauren (my cousin.) Thanks for always playing Mario Kart with me even though I always win. I’m sure that’s frustrating.

thanks for reading:)

 

 

 

I feel as if the most universal question in the world is “why?” (inserts mini dialogue)

Y/N: Why do you dress like that?

Y/N: Why do you care?

Y/N: Why do you want to know?

Y/N: Why do you not want me to know?

From my award-winning dialogue skills, you can clearly see what my point is. The question “why?” is used so often, I don’t think people truly realize how often they use it. “Why” is one of the words that you just have to know. It’s as useful as “the,” “as,” & “and.” Without this word, many conversations wouldn’t incite. This word is clearly one of the most important word known to man. This word has impacted me in a big way recently. I was in my bed one day, scrolling mindlessly through my three favorite apps (twitter, Instagram, and snapchat of course because I am the typical socialite teenager…) and I was wondering to myself, “why do I do this everyday?” which of course led to me having a long period of reflection over my life. I had millions of questions running through my head. Some questions I rather not say out of fear of being completely stupid (despite of questions never being stupid…I’m being sarcastic here if you couldn’t tell.) Some questions that I will share with you all are more on the rational side of things and can actually be answered or at least given an appropriate amount of time to think over:

“Why am I so addicted to my phone?”

“Why were these apps created?”

“Why do I spend so much time on these three specific aapps?”

“Why don’t I have the energy to do any thing else?”

Why does my phone make me so idle?”

All these questions ran through my mind and it was almost like a switch flipped in me. I realized that I am addicted to my phone. As I took more notice of this, I saw the symptoms of my addiction. For the sake of being clear, I’ll list them for you.

1. My impulse to check my phone every 3 minutes
2. My lingering stare on my phone whenever I’m not on it
3. I constantly have to have my phone with me
4. The first and last thing I do everyday is look at my phone
5. I sometimes kiss my phone when it is super close to my face

Now I know that last one is a bit outrageous, but who am I to lie to you guys? I try to be as honest as I possibly can with you guys and if you say don’t peck your phone for treating you so good from time to time…you’re lying! (ok maybe you don’t but to those who do…I completely understand)

With the new ios 13 update, you can see how long you are on your phone each day. Last week I averaged a usage of 9 hours and 8 minutes each day last week. That is a lot you guys! That’s almost all of the time of the 12 hours I’m awake! I felt so bad over these numbers and I’m determined to get them down. Thank you to apple for being my biggest problem, but also helping with my solution! I’m trying to spend less time on my phone and focus more on the things in life outside my phone. Maybe this will help with the crook in my neck from looking down so much LOL! But for real you guys…look at how much time your spending on your phone. If you are one of those people who can live without your phone, kudos to you BUT if your anything like me…we need to strive to do better!

I hope you enjoyed my little quest with the question “why?” and how it has changed the way I interact with my phone. It’ll be hard for me, but I’m determined to let go of my bad habits with this phone! Hope this has helped anybody under your phones captivating spell…